Hanger for electric wires



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. H. LUSOOMB. HANGER FOR BLECTRIGWIRES.

Patented Apr. 5, 1892.

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(No'Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet' 2.

H. H. LUSCOMB.

HANGER EOE ELECTRIC WIRES. No. 472,220'. Patented Apr. 5, 1892.

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H. H. LUSGOMB. HANGER EOE ELECTRIC WIRES.

No. 472,220. PatentedApr. 5,11892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY HERBERT LUSOOMB, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HANGER FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,220, dated April 5, 1892.

Application Sled July 20, 1891l Serial No. 400,019. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY HERBERT LUS- COMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Hangers or Supports for Overhead Electrical Conductors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to theA accompanying drawings.

' My invention has for its object to produce an improved hanger or support for overhead electrical conductors for electric railways; and it relates to hangers or supports which are intended particularly for that portion of the conductor which passes around a curve and which are commonly called pull-offs. The trolley which makes contact with the conductor has a grooved periphery, as is well known, and the conductor must be so supported or mounted as to permit the trolley to pass along underneath it withoutinterference with the overhead construction. To this end the hanger is usually arched or hookshaped; but inasmuch as the strain on it is oftentimes vory great the hook now in use is apt to straighten or bend or break. Furthermore, in pull-offs as ordinarily constructed single insulation only is obtained, and no pull-off known to me is constructed embracing the feature of double insulation, which feature is desirable for reasons well known to those skilled in the art. By constructing the deL vice in accordance with my invention I am enabled to produce a hanger which is not liable to straighten or bend or break, and I am also enabled to employ the feature of double insulation when that is desired.

v-I have shown in the accompanying drawings the best forms of my invention now known to me and will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the said drawings, after which I will point out in the claims the novel features thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the preferred form of my improved hanger or support. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3,Fig.

l. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the end of the shank, showing the eye by which it may be connected with the cross-wire.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a slightlymodifiedform of myinvention,showingdouble insulation. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6- 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of still another modification of my device Fig. 9 is a plan view of the modification shown in Fig. S.

The construction of my device is simple and will be readily understood. The electrical conductor is shown at A. B is an attachingear, which may be soldered or otherwise secured to the conductor. Any well known form of ear or clip may be employed. A threaded socket is provided in the upwardlyextending shank of the ear or clip, into which a thread ed bolt or projection c may be screwed. The threaded bolt c may be integral with the head d, or the head may be enlarged at the lower end, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and provided with a threaded socket, into which one end of bolt c may be screwed, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the ear B has a rm bearing against the lower end of the head d, which is desirable. The head d is preferably of metal and is made in the form shown in Fig. 2-that is, it is flanged or webbed throughout a portion of its length and is thus cruciforrn in cross-section throughout that portion, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper end of the head is preferably enlarged, as shown, so that it may be the more securely embedded in or attached to the casing of non-conducting material f when it isv desired to insulate this portion of the device. Any well-known non-conducting material may be employed to cover and insulate the head CZ. The non-conducting casing when employed should preferably terminate in a skirt g, Figs. 1 and 2, in order to more effectually secure against shortcircuiting by moisture. A clamp or strap h, which is adapted t0 iit an annular groove in the non-conducting casing of the head, is adapted to be sprung onto the casing and is provided with lugs or projections, (see Fig. 3,) between which is pivoted a stem or shank 1c. The stem is provided with an upwardly-projecting arm Z,which is webbed, as shown in the cross-sectional view, Fig. 3, and turned at its upper end so that it may bear against the upper part of the non-conducting casing f of the head. lVhere the upperend of the arm touches the casing the casing is provided with a wear-plate ZlS, which is set therein and is preferably flush with the surface thereof. The arm or brace Z acts first as a stop when the hanger is in use to prevent the head CZ from being pulled over and afterward as a brace to transmit the strain of the head to the stem 7c. The ou twardly-extendin g or free end of the stem 7c may simply terminate in an eye, such as is shown in Fig. 4, by means of which the device may be attached to a cable or supporting-wire, and this end of the stem may or may not be provided with insulation. If the end be insulated, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the insulation at this point may be effected in any well-known manner; but I prefer to accomplish it as shown-that is, the free end of the stem is enlarged in the conical form shown and is covered with alayerof suitable non-conducting material fm. A collar 'n of corresponding conical shape is placed around the enlarged end outside of the nonconducting material, and a cap p, having a suitable eye therein, is screwed onto the collar a, preferably covering the non-conducting material at the end of the stem k, all as clearly shown in Fig. 5. By this form of construction, which I deem the preferable form, a hanger or support is produ-ced, such as is Shown in Fig. l. This hanger, it will be underst0od,has the feature of double insulationthat is, the conductor is insulated at the head CZ by means of the non-conducting casing f and again at the end of the stein Zr by means of the insulation m. It will be further understood that by means of the pivot at the heel or end of the stem 7o the lateral strain, which tends to pull the head outof the vertical, is distributed through the brace Z to the stem Zt. In this way parts of less strength and size may be used than could be employed if the usual rigid hook construction were adopted. The stem k may be set at any angle with reference to the conductorA by reason of the screw connection c between the ear or clip B and the head CZ.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show a slightly-modified form of my invention, the chief modifications being the form of the metallic head CZ, which is a bolt without a head, having a circular cross-section, the two-part form of the clamp or holder 7L, which, instead of being made in a single piece and sprung onto the non-conducting casing of the head, is made in two pieces and bolted, as shown at j, Fig. 7, and the absence of a skirt on the insulating casing of the head. The cross-sectional shape of the holder is also different, it being convex to iit an annularbnlge or projection on the nonconducting material.

Still another modification of my device is shown in Figs. 8 and 9, in which only one insulation is employed and that at the free end of the shank or Stem Zt'. Then the insulation at the head of the device is omitted, the lugs j are preferably integral with the head CZ, as shown in said figures. In the latter modification the brace or arm Z rises vertically from the stem k, and the upper end of the brace passes through a slot in a laterallyprojecting arm Z, secured to the top of the head CZ, through which the strain of the head when in use is transmitted. For greater strength I prefer to brace the arm Z by an inclined brace Z2, which is set between the stem 7s and the upper end of the arm Z.

It will be obvious that where single insulation only is desired it may be obtained either at the free end of the stem 7.3, as shown in Fig. S, or at the head of the device, as shown in Fig. l, and it will be also obvious that if the insulation be on the stem 7c it need not be placed at the free end ofthe stem, but may be midway thereof or at any point in said stem.

lVhat I claim isl. A support or hanger having a head, a stem to one end of which the head is pivoted, and an arm serving as a stop for the head and also to transmit a part of the strain on thc head when in use to adjacent parts of the stemt, substantially as described.

2. A support or hanger having a head provided with a casing of non-conducting material and carrying a wire-engaging device, a stem to which the said head is pvotally connected, and an arm serving as a stop for the head and also to transmit a part of the strain on the head when in use to adjacent parts of the stem, substantially as described.

3. A support or hanger having a head provided with a casing of non-conducting material and carrying a wire-engaging device, a clamp or holder, a stem to which the head is joined by pivotal connections between the clamp or holder and the stem, and an arm serving as a stop for the head and also to transmit a part of the strain on the head when in use to adjacent parts of the stem, substantially as described.

4. A support or hanger having a head provided with a casing of non-conducting matcrial and carrying a wire-engaging device, a stern to which the said head is pivotally connected, and an arm serving as a stop for the head and also to transmit a part of the strain on the head when in use to adjacent parts of the stem, said stem having an insulated a"`t taching device for connecting it with a wirc or cable, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY HERBERT LUSCOMH.

Vftnesses:

WM. A. MAcLnon, ROBERT XVALLACE.

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